A brief look at the past few decades of Afghanistan’s history reveals that many political figures have, in practice, served the interests of regional and trans-regional powers. Among them, Ahmad Shah Massoud was one of those who, from the beginning of his activities, maintained close and warm relations with France—relations that can be said to have served France’s political and intelligence goals in Afghanistan.
The hidden dimensions of these ties become more apparent when we see that the French government still refers to Ahmad Shah Massoud as a “hero,” and has named certain cultural and historical places after him. Such honors are usually reserved for individuals who have significantly served the interests of that country. It is evident that during his years of political presence, Ahmad Shah Massoud, through actions such as handing over Afghanistan’s valuable natural resources—including the emeralds and lapis lazuli of Panjshir Province—fueling internal wars, and sharing intelligence information, proved to be a useful and effective asset for France.
Years after the assassination of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the French government is now trying to elevate his son, Ahmad Massoud, as a prominent political figure and, like his father, use him to serve its own interests. The media and political support for Ahmad Massoud can be seen as part of a larger scenario to prepare him for a future role aligned with France’s regional policies.
The fact that, among all Afghan political figures, only Ahmad Massoud receives such special attention from France indicates that he is seen as capable of repeating his father’s path—a path that prioritized the interests of foreigners over the people and national values of Afghanistan.
However, history has clearly proven that serving foreign powers and betraying one’s nation and its religious and national values never ends well. Those who spent their lives trying to please foreign masters were ultimately disgraced and became objects of hatred in the historical memory of nations.
Today, those who seek to repeat that bitter experience must know that trading away a nation’s values and identity never comes without consequences. Betrayal—regardless of its disguise or label—is doomed to fail and will inevitably lead to historical hatred.
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